All About the Mo

November 28th, 2014

I think I may have blinked and missed November. It is Friday afternoon, then comes the weekend and BAM! Monday morning is December. December is a whole ball game of its own – Christmas music starts, Christmas lights go on, advent calendars get pulled out…

But before we go down that path, I think it is a good time to acknowledge an important fashion trend.

Movember is committed to raising funds and awareness for men’s health through the power of the mustache. Back in 2003, it might have begun as a bit of a joke to bring back the mustache, but it quickly grew. From 30 Mo Bros in Melbourne, Australia to 4 million mustaches by 2013, Movember has become a truly global movement that is changing the face of men’s health. Thanks to those first 30 Mo Bros who grew their mustaches with such enthusiasm, in 2004 a decision was made to formalize the concept and get the participants growing for a cause.

Some cool facts about Movember:

Movember is ranked in the top 100 best NGOs (charity) in the world by the Global Journal based on three key main criteria: impact, innovation and sustainability. To put that in context, there are an estimated 5 million NGOs around the world.

Last year in 2013, The Movember Foundation accepted the Social Force of the Year award from GQ magazine

Through Movember funding, the world’s first Prostate Cancer Genome Mapping Project is completed – expanding the understanding of how prostate cancer works, which will lead to more personalized treatment

$574 million Canadian raised since 2003

770 men’s health projects funded since 2003

The Impact on Awareness:

99% of participants talked to someone about their health

75% became more aware of the health issues they face

62% went to see a medical professional to improve their health

50% told someone they should take action to improve their health

75% said they were more likely to tell someone they knew to seek professional health if they thought it needed

I’ll admit that the mustache might not be my favourite fashion trend, but there’s absolutely no arguing with facts like that! For that alone, there’s nothing like celebrating Movember. Three cheers for the mustache!